The alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor in Kolkata's R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9 has shaken the entire nation, including comedian Munawar Faruqui, who says, “Hospital is a place where lives are saved. It is such an alert place that there’s always security and awareness. We consider it the safest place but if a doctor, who saves lives, can go through something like that there, it sets an example ki aurat kahin bhi safe nahi hai.”
Ask him about how does he sees the incident from the male perspective and he says, “Being a man, I feel very ashamed. And not just the incident in Kolkata, but we’ve been hearing so many such incidents with baby girls, and mujhe bolne mein bhi sharam aa rahi hai ki kai log to animals ko bhi nahi chod rahe hain.” The 32-year-old even requests men all around to not make the case about a man vs woman issue. “Ye jo debate chal rahi hai aurat aur mard ka internet pe, main bas ek hi baat bolna chahunga sab mardon ko ki kuch mat bolo. Auratein jo bhi bol rahi hain, usko nazar jhuka kar sunn lo. Is samay agar wo gusse aur frustration mein ye bhi keh rahi hain ki sabhi mard aise hain, to wo bhi chup chap sunn lo, because right now, the women are going through a lot.”
Amid all the outroar, Faruqui penned a poem titled Beti Hui Hai on his Instagram. Mention that and he says, “When there is so much going on in your mind and heart, you want to say it. I prefer doing it by writing and then reciting it. The poem was not just about the Kolkata rape case but what women go through all their life. ‘Bachti aayi hai gande mehmaanon ki nazron se bhi’ is about how even small girls go through molestation at home by close ones. From every corner, women are subjected to so much, be it at home or in public.”
{{/usCountry}}Amid all the outroar, Faruqui penned a poem titled Beti Hui Hai on his Instagram. Mention that and he says, “When there is so much going on in your mind and heart, you want to say it. I prefer doing it by writing and then reciting it. The poem was not just about the Kolkata rape case but what women go through all their life. ‘Bachti aayi hai gande mehmaanon ki nazron se bhi’ is about how even small girls go through molestation at home by close ones. From every corner, women are subjected to so much, be it at home or in public.”
{{/usCountry}}As a father, Faruqui insists he wants to teach his kids to respect people, irrespective of gender. “I have a son and a daughter as well and I really want them to understand how to respect the other gender. I want to teach my son to respect every woman as his mother. And having a daughter, it pains me to even think about what a father or brother goes through whose daughter or sister have to go through something like this. I just pray to Allah that any such incident should never happen with any family out there,” he says, insisting on stricter safety measures. “There is a lot of scope in terms of women safety. At a lot of places, the presence of police officials has become necessary, like in public transport at late night. Patrolling should increase everywhere at least 10 times. There should be working CCTV cameras everywhere,” he ends.